Certainly not if you know who stands 6 feet tall at the left pin.
Last postseason, the Red & Black visited Attleboro, arguably the state’s most explosive offense, and took care of business in four sets. Though the 13-seed fell just shy of the Division 1 semifinals, the momentum carried.
Junior outside hitter Hazel Lovins, who smacked a team-high 16 kills in that Attleboro match, fired 19 past a stout Brookline defense Friday, leading a 3-1 victory over the Globe’s top-ranked team.
She’s not just dangerous, with 299 kills last season. She’s clutch too.
“For my money,” said Winchester coach John Fleming, whose team is 10-0 and moved up to No. 1 in this week’s Globe Top 20, “I think she’s the best player in the state.”
Further north, another team led by a standout outside is making noise.
At Chelmsford, the Globe’s No. 5 team, Kyra Ward is posting big performances.
The Lions (12-0) do not face the highest-ranked opponents this season, but last fall won their first Merrimack Valley Conference title since 2005. The team seeks its first state championship since 1986, and is doing so with the 5-foot-6-inch junior who knows how to break through a defense.
“She plays a lot of doubles and beach and grass,” said coach Edgar Valdez. “She has a lot of shots. Not limited to one area of the court. She can find angles. She’s smart, she can hit around the block. Does a little bit of everything.”
The outside hitter role allows a player to really show what a well-rounded athlete she is. Along with terminating plays in the front row, Ward and Lovins are adept at picking up digs in the back, even popping kills from there, too.
Both started playing at age 9, and use their experience to elevate their teammates.
“I love outside [hitter] so much because you get to do everything except set,” said Lovins, a captain. “You can pass and hit, which is so amazing. You can be someone people rely on on the court because you stay all around and be a versatile player.”
Ward considers herself a “utility player.” She was a setter her last club season and is expecting to be a defensive specialist and/or hitter next. As an outside, she led Division 1 in kills as a freshman and has 817 in her career.
“I feel like outside is sometimes overlooked,” Ward said. “But being an outside for high school, it helps you to uplift your team, because you’re responsible for the front row and the back row. That’s why I’ve been put in that position, so I can help my team to the best of my abilities.”
Ellen Griswold is in her first year setting for Chelmsford — her primary position is libero. Ward makes the connection seamless.
“In the back row, she gets a ton of balls up, but also . . . if I don’t have a ton of options, she’s always there if I want to set her a back row attack,” said the senior captain. “I know that she’ll put it in play, even if the set’s a little off. She’s always just able to adjust.”
Fleming, who recently earned his 250th girls’ volleyball win at Winchester, said Lovins is “as tough from the back row sometimes as she is from up front” with her skill and preparation.
“When your best player is super invested and really genuinely into everything about the sport,” he said, “the team, the camaraderie, obviously the game days, but practice, she wants to get better . . . it means a lot.”
Winchester senior Johanna Melhorn, whose combination of hitting and blocking abilities makes her lethal in the middle, benefits from Lovins’s presence.
“Hazel and I are best friends on and off the court,” Melhorn said. “She’s always there supporting me, bringing me up, or helping support the team . . . Having her there, I feel like it calms me down. It’s like a trust to fall back on.”
The Bay State Conference owns the last seven Division 1 titles, but Ward and Lovins look to lead the charge for the Middlesex and Merrimack Valley. Winchester’s win over Brookline, with a statement opening set, proved it’s a real contender.
“Last year we were really great, went farther than everyone thought we would,” Lovins said. “We’ve all been looking forward to coming back and having another chance . . . We win together. We lose together.
“We push ourselves to be as good as we can be and our final goal is [the championship.]”
Initial thoughts on MIAA Power Rankings:
▪ Division 1: If its low strength of schedule keeps it outside of the top four, Winchester could be a nightmare matchup ahead of the state semifinals. The Red & Black opened at 11 and moved up to No. 9 after the Brookline victory. Brookline moved from No. 2 down to 6 as a result, but is still poised for a deep run.
Attleboro, which grabbed the No. 4 seed in the tournament after a near-perfect season last year, graduated three stellar hitters and is still potent at the pins. Bombardiers own that No. 2 spot now.
▪ Division 2: Oliver Ames has the top spot by a wide margin, but undefeated Duxbury is up to No. 2. A 19-1 regular season last year earned the Dragons the eighth seed. A win against Barnstable certainly helps, though the Red Hawks are at No. 13 with a strong opponent rating but a .500 record (6-6).
▪ Division 3: An impressive showing by No. 2 Bellingham and No. 4 Case, both of which were in D4 last season. Bellingham beat Medfield in five sets, but it’s still the Warriors claiming the top spot at this point. They’ll match up again on Oct. 20.
▪ Division 4: Bourne, the D5 champion a year ago, is atop the rankings despite moving up a division. Its only loss was to East Bridgewater, which comes in at No. 2. Bridgewater is having a moment, with No. 9 West Bridgewater in the top 10 of the power rankings for the first time in school history. Four-time defending champ Ipswich is at No. 26 after graduating last year’s starters.
▪ Division 5: Whitinsville Christian looked to be a favorite after making the finals last year, but so far holds the No. 3 spot. Hopedale leads, with undefeated Madison Park (9-0 entering Thursday) close behind. It’s the most wins to start a season MP has had since William Harvey has been coaching, aided by only losing one player to graduation.
“We’ve been able to get the girls to play club, play year round and get more reps,” Harvey said. “It’s translated to the season. Preseason was really hard. I put them through it.”
Friday, No. 13 Methuen at No. 5 Chelmsford, 5 p.m. — They went to an intense five-set finish the first time. This time the Lions will try to protect their perfect record at home.
Monday, Wayland at Weston, 5:30 p.m. — This matchup also went five sets the first time, with Wayland prevailing. If Weston has made strides to look more like the team from the past few years, this is a prime chance to show that progress.
Wednesday, No. 9 Andover at No. 5 Chelmsford, 5 p.m. — Another big home Merrimack Valley contest for the Lions, featuring standout hitters Jessie Wang and Kyra Ward.
Wednesday, Quincy at North Quincy, 6 p.m. — The Quincy rivalry in the Patriot League sees Part 2 after Quincy took it in five the first time around.
Thursday, Old Rochester at No. 15 Medfield, 6 p.m.— The Bulldogs have been up there in Division 3 the past couple years and have stayed potent despite graduating setter Aubrie Letourneau (now at Connecticut College). They’ll face the power rankings leader and defending champ on the road.